Crooked Fence Brewing tap room to close in Garden City

Raise a final toast: Crooked Fence’s original tap room will close as part of the brewery’s transition to Eagle.
Katherine Jones
Statesman file photo

One of the “big three” Boise-area breweries plans to move from Garden City to Eagle in December.

Relocating has seemed inevitable for Crooked Fence Brewing Co. since 2014, when it expanded and opened Crooked Flats dining and event venue on the former 5-acre spot of Woodriver Cellars winery, 3705 Idaho 16.

As part of the transition to Crooked Flats, the original tap room and brewery at 5242 Chinden Blvd. — not to be confused with Crooked Fence’s Barrelhouse restaurant — will be shuttered. From a business standpoint, it doesn’t make sense to keep both locations open, co-owner Kris Price says. The Chinden space opened in 2012.

“This is bittersweet for us,” Price admits. “We’re excited to move and consolidate for financial reasons. But leaving our original brewery where we’ve made awesome memories and met tons of cool people will be a bummer.”

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Along with Sockeye Brewing and Payette Brewing Co., Crooked Fence beer is a fixture among Boise craft-brew drinkers. Uniquely styled artwork on canned and bottled flavors such as 3 Picket Porter and Sins of Our Fathers Imperial Stout makes Crooked Fence stand out among national beer choices at retailers.

Crooked Fence will continue to operate its brewpub at Crooked Flats in Eagle, and its Barrelhouse restaurant at 5181 N. Glenwood St. in Garden City.

Want to raise a final toast at the tap room? Crooked Fence will host a moving party from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, at its original Chinden location.

After that, newcomer Meriwether Cider Co. plans to move into the space, Price says. Crooked Fence has sold equipment to Meriwether including a chiller system and walk-in cooler.

“Stuff that would cost us money to move, so it just made sense for us to sell it to them,” Price says. “We’re working with them to coordinate moving. They’re kind of waiting on us. They’re ready to go now.”

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